Japan, Australia firms look to build large-scale green liquefied hydrogen supply chain
15/09/2021 10:57
TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest hydrogen supplier
Iwatani Corp and five other firms said on Wednesday they will
study the feasibility of building a green liquefied hydrogen
supply chain between Japan and Australia that could produce 100
tonnes a day by around 2026.
Green hydrogen is a zero-carbon fuel made by using renewable
power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is
increasingly promoted as a way to decarbonise
emissions-intensive long haul transport and heavy industry.
Green hydrogen projects are also key to helping Japan meet
its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Iwatani 8088.T and three other Japanese companies -
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd 7012.T , Kansai Electric Power Co
Inc 9503.T and Marubeni Corp 8002.T - signed a memorandum of
understanding with two Australian energy infrastructure firms,
Stanwell Corp and APT Management Services Pty Ltd, for the
Central Queensland Hydrogen Project.
The project will produce hydrogen on a large scale using
renewable energy, liquefy it at the Port of Gladstone in
Queensland, Australia, and then export the liquefied hydrogen to
Japan.
It aims to produce and supply low-cost hydrogen reliably
over the long-term, with goals of producing at least 100 tonnes
of hydrogen a day around 2026, and 800 tonnes a day from 2031,
they said in a statement.
The current production volume of liquefied hydrogen in Japan
is up to 30 tonnes a day.
The use of the 235-hectares Aldoga site, a hydrogen
production base secured by Stanwell in the Gladstone region, and
a site of about 100 hectares in Fisherman's Landing to be
acquired as a hydrogen liquefaction and loading base, will be
considered for the project, they said.
The project will also consider supplying green hydrogen to
meet local demand.
The feasibility study will focus on examinations of
production technology for green hydrogen, construction of
hydrogen liquefaction plants and liquefied hydrogen carriers,
associated finance and environmental assessments, and
commercialization models.
(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com; +813-4520-1265;))